Chapter 920: Who made it?

Accept punishment? The Empress never said what she would punish!

So simple, how could Miss Yuan not be able to say it?

Murong Jin looked at her and smiled: "Miss Yuan, you're quite straightforward."

As for what this punishment is……

She thought for a moment: "Never mind, then I'll punish you to pin flowers for this palace."

A low murmur rose from the seats.

Pin flowers for the Empress? How is that a punishment? It's clearly a favor!

The noble ladies' gazes toward Miss Yuan instantly changed.

Si Yu smiled brightly as she lifted a tray, laying a silk cloth inside and placing several gorgeously bright peonies upon it.

"Yes, I obey." Miss Yuan rose and walked to Murong Jin's front, glancing at the flowers in the tray.

She gently picked a golden-yellow peony, carefully pinning it to Murong Jin's temple, and softly said: "My lady, my hands are clumsy; I hope the Empress will not disdain it."

Murong Jin slightly tilted her head, raising her hand to gently adjust the petals.

Miss Yuan stepped back two steps, a faint blush rising on her fair face: "The Empress is heavenly beautiful; the flower I chose looked fine in the tray."

"Once pinned to the Empress's temple, you can't even see it—the Empress truly has peerless beauty."

She gracefully knelt: "It is I who cannot choose flowers well; I beg the Empress's forgiveness."

Hearing this, Murong Jin felt delighted: "Rise, the Secretary's Residence indeed raises its children well."

Madam Yuan, hearing this, quickly rose, smiling until the corners of her eyes crinkled: "Empress, you overpraise me; I dare not accept."

Miss Yuan returned to her seat and sat down slowly.

A few well-acquainted noble ladies couldn't help gathering together, lowering their voices to discuss.

"What a clever scheme! For such a simple question, she pretended not to know the answer!"

"She alone insists on accepting punishment—could it be just to make the Empress remember her?"

"Exactly, this is far more eye-catching than answering correctly."

The ladies' gazes also lingered on Miss Yuan for a moment, each understanding in their hearts.

Instead, it let her take the lead.

Seeing her daughter finish her snacks, Cheng Ru'an picked up a cloth to wipe her little hands.

Tuan Tuan whispered: "Mother, when can we run?"

Cheng Ru'an held back a laugh: "Wait a bit longer; we just arrived a little while ago, can't be too soon."

Tuan Tuan gave an 'oh', then leaned close to Song Shujun's ear and asked: "Sister, Mother and I will run later—will you join?"

"This place is so boring—come with me to see Imperial Aunt!"

Song Shujun blinked: "Imperial Aunt?"

"Yes! It's the Grand Princess!"

Song Shujun glanced at the courtyard scene, nodded slightly: "All right, I'll go with you later."

Tuan Tuan gave an 'um', lowered her head, and saw the cloth in Song Shujun's hand: "Sister, may I look at this?"

Song Shujun handed the cloth to her.

Tuan Tuan unfolded it—it was exactly the first poem she had memorized.

She hurriedly brought it to her mother: "Mother, mother! Look—this is the poem Sister taught me!"

Cheng Ru'an took it and saw the exquisite embroidery, the pattern and verses perfectly matched; she couldn't help praising: "Miss Song is truly clever and skillful, actually able to devise such a method to teach you reading."

She looked at Song Shujun, her affection growing: "Miss Song, thank you."

Song Shujun quickly said: "Princess Consort overpraises; Tuan Tuan is naturally clever, I merely noticed her lively nature and came up with this method."

She paused: "It's all because Tuan Tuan learned well."

Tuan Tuan proudly shook her little head: "Exactly!"

Cheng Ru'an laughed and shook her head: "Even the Imperial Teacher, famed across the world, couldn't teach you, yet you learned well?"

Just as they were speaking, the drumming stopped.

Murong Jin glanced at Si Yu.

Si Yu understood, slightly raising her hand.

Palace attendants entered carrying trays in single file, placing a delicate silver pot and several cups on each table, filling the cups.

Murong Jin raised her cup slightly toward everyone: "This is the palace's specially brewed Fragrant Spring Wine made with peach blossoms—clear, sweet, not strong, a perfect match for today's Hundred Flowers Banquet."

Please, ladies and misses, try it.

Everyone raised their cups, took a sip, and praises rang out without end:

"This wine is clear and sweet with a hint of floral fragrance—truly not vulgar."

"Fragrant Spring Wine—what a lovely name; just hearing it sounds elegant."

Murong Jin set down her cup: "With wine, how can there be no poetry?"

"Today's Hundred Flowers Banquet, if we only drink wine and admire flowers, would be somewhat wasted."

"I, the palace, wish to ask everyone to display their talents and write down their best poems."

"No restriction on rhyme, nor need to take this banquet as theme; after writing, no need to sign. We'll reveal the winner first, then announce the name."

She paused slightly, scanning the seats: "Today's winner may stay to dine with the palace."

The seats immediately filled with a murmur of delighted surprise.

"Display talents? Surely the Empress is selecting a consort for the Crown Prince!"

"Winning means dining at the same table as the Empress—what a tremendous honor!"

"If a daughter could eat this meal in the Phoenix Etiquette Palace, what worry would there be about not entering the Eastern Palace?"

The ladies' gazes, in unison, swept toward their own daughters.

The young ladies all sat up straight, eager to try.

Palace attendants brought a set of tables and chairs and placed them in the courtyard.

On the table were prepared brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, with a stack of plain xuan paper neatly arranged.

Miss Chen was the first to rise, walking lightly to the table, sitting upright, she picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote down her most proud verse.

Seeing her set down the brush, a palace attendant nearby lifted the paper carefully and carried it away.

Miss Chen returned to her seat, lifted the wine before her, with a look of determined confidence.

Immediately after, another young lady rose and walked over.

Tuan Tuan turned her head to look at Song Shujun, tugging at her sleeve: "Older sister, you should go too! Your poetry is so good, you'll surely win first place!"

Song Shujun gently shook her head.

Cheng Ru'an smiled faintly and said softly: "Miss Song, you should still go."

"There's no need to compete with them; just write a casual poem and be done with it."

"Since the Empress has given an order, all the ladies present have written poems; if you alone don't, it will look conspicuous."

Song Shujun hesitated for a moment, looked at Cheng Ru'an's gentle gaze, and lightly nodded: "What the Princess Consort says is quite right."

She did not rise immediately, but waited quietly.

Seeing the young ladies finish their poems one after another, with no one leaving their seats, she then slowly rose and walked to the table.

She picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, quickly wrote a few lines on the paper, set down the brush, and turned back to her seat.

Tuan Tuan leaned in: "Older sister, what did you write?"

Song Shujun whispered: "Just something casual."

Not long after, Si Yu held up a sheet of paper and walked to Murong Jin's side, bending down to whisper a few words in her ear.

Everyone's gaze gathered on that paper, and the embroidered handkerchiefs in their hands involuntarily clenched tightly.

Murong Jin took it, lowered her eyes to look, and smiled like a spring breeze: "The first-place poem has already appeared."

She softly recited: "The warm sun makes people drowsy; long reading makes the eyes want to close. Suddenly hearing laughter outside the window, two or three people are flying kites."

A hush fell over the gathering for a moment.

Song Shujun's face was full of surprise, Tuan Tuan was overjoyed, and Cheng Ru'an nodded silently.

Murong Jin scanned the crowd: "Indeed a fine poem! But I don't know who composed it."

Miss Yuan rose slowly: "In reply to the Empress, this poem was composed by your servant."